Can Only Make Me Stronger
by ihearttvsnark
Summary: Tyler is determined to break his sire bond.


**Title:** Can Only Make Me Stronger

**Author:** ihearttvsnark

**Fandom:** The Vampire Diaries

**Character:** Tyler Lockwood (implied Tyler and Caroline)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Word Count:** 1,722

**Summary:** Tyler is determined to break his sire bond.

**Warnings:** Spoilers through 3.15 All My Children but the events here are purely AU/speculation

**Can Only Make Me Stronger**

It didn't matter how many times he transformed, he still woke up afterward feeling like he'd died. Or technically, he felt like he'd died _again_. His entire body ached from having his bones broken and his skin stretched and torn. Tyler supposed the semantics of it all weren't important since each transformation ended the same way with him naked and curled up on the floor with no memory of what had just happened.

He managed to get his eyes to open and he searched for the clock in the dark room so he could try and figure out how much time had gone by since he'd changed. At least before he didn't really have to think about it; he became a werewolf during the full moon and he was back to being human when the sun came up the next morning. But now he was changing at will and he had no way of telling how long he stayed in wolf form.

The clock and the table it had been set up on had both been knocked to the ground and Tyler couldn't read the numbers from his current position. He was tempted to just stay where he was and try and get a few hours of sleep, but he knew he didn't have that luxury. Groaning, Tyler managed to get to his knees and crawl across the room to right the table and pick up the clock. It was a little after nine in the morning which meant he'd been a wolf for nearly twelve hours straight.

"I think that's a new record. Hungry?"

Tyler turned toward the doorway and caught the towel that was thrown at him. He wrapped it around his waist and got to his feet, doing his best to ignore the familiar unsteadiness that always came after a transformation. When he'd first started turning, Tyler had never understood why he was so weak for hours after he became human again. Even now as a hybrid, every ounce of his vampire strength was depleted from the transition. It didn't make sense and it was a huge pain in the ass.

"Are you hungry?" Jeremy asked again as he waved the bag of blood he held in his hand. "That's the longest you've been out. What do you remember?"

"Nothing," Tyler replied. He took the blood from Jeremy and started to drink, barely resisting the urge to gag as the warm blood seeped down his throat. That was another thing that he'd noticed since he'd started turning as a vampire. Even though his blood cravings never seemed to go away, blood always tasted disgusting right after he transitioned; almost like his body somehow knew that it was completely unnatural.

"All right," Jeremy said with a shrug. "Why don't you chill for a little bit and then we can try again tomorrow?" he suggested.

Tyler shook his head. "I just need an hour or so and then I'm going to do it again. Don't start, Gilbert," he warned when he saw Jeremy open his mouth. "This is what I'm here for. You know what Caroline's dad said. I won't be strong enough to resist the sire bond until I can turn at will and stay completely in control. I'm nowhere near that point." He finished the blood and tossed the bag in the garbage, sending another glare in Jeremy's direction.

"You were the one who wanted to help me," Tyler reminded him. He'd been shocked a few weeks earlier when Jeremy had left him a message asking him to meet him in what basically amounted to the middle of nowhere, but he'd been too curious to ignore the younger man's invitation.

Jeremy had explained that he'd heard about what Bill Forbes had been trying to do for him and he thought it would be better if Tyler had some help instead of attempting to do it on his own. Tyler knew he had some kind of plan of his own going on, but Jeremy had yet to tell him what it was. All Tyler knew was that in involved constant physical training and reading from old family journals. "Shouldn't you be launching grenades or taking notes or whatever it is you do all day while I'm torturing myself?" he asked snidely.

If Jeremy was fazed by his attitude, he didn't show it. "I thought you might want an update on the latest plan to bring down Klaus. It failed," he said matter-of-factly. "Bonnie's mom was turned into a vampire and most of the Originals have fled except for Klaus and Rebekah."

Tyler rolled his eyes. He wasn't surprised that Klaus had cheated death again. That bastard always ended up with the upper hand. "Did your mystery source tell you what the new plan is?" he asked warily. Jeremy refused to tell him who the person he was keeping in touch with in Mystic Falls was. As far as Tyler knew, everyone thought Jeremy had left the state to start a new life. He couldn't figure out who was feeding him information on all their friends.

"There isn't one right now," Jeremy admitted. "Why don't you come outside with me? I do need to get some training in and I could use your critiques."

"You don't want my critiques, Gilbert. We both know that I'm useless until this sire bond is broken. Close the door on your way out," Tyler added as he moved toward the center of the room to prepare for his next transformation.

He sighed when he heard the door close a few seconds later. Despite his comments to the contrary, Tyler knew that Jeremy understood that this was what he needed to be doing. He had to break the bond and that meant repeatedly turning into a wolf. His body was still sore and Tyler knew this transformation was going to hurt like hell, but it had to be done. He was reaching for a bottle of water, wanting to get the blood taste out of his mouth when he spotted his cell phone wedged in the corner of the room.

Tyler took a long sip of water and then picked up the phone to check his messages. There were two new ones from his mother asking him to check in and he deleted both without listening to the entire messages. It was better if his mother didn't have any contact with him. The third message was from Caroline.

"_Hey Tyler, it's me again. You won't believe what happened at school today. Becky Santoro and Kevin Winters had the most obnoxious fight right in the middle of the hallway. They were just yelling at each other about him not calling her enough and he was mad because she was smothering him but then he thought he saw her at the Grill with Peter Riley which was just crazy because everyone knows Peter and Amy Nielson have been hooking up under the bleachers for like two months. Can you believe that?"_

He had to laugh as she launched into another tirade about how Amy was the worst person because of the time in third grade when she'd pulled Elena's pigtails and then cried when Caroline pushed her in the mud. Tyler honestly didn't know how Caroline remembered all of this stuff but she never seemed to forget when someone had wronged one of her friends. It was just one of the many things he loved about her.

"_Well I should probably go. I need to check on Bonnie and her mom." _He heard her pause and then his enhanced senses allowed him to hear the hitch in her voice that let him know that she was trying not to cry. _"Tyler, it's awful. Everyone is such a mess after the spell to get rid of the Originals didn't work. I miss you and I wish you were here but I know why you're doing what you're doing. I'm proud of you."_

Tyler heard her voice hitch again and then there was a click, indicating the message had ended. He hated knowing that she was hurting and there was nothing he could do to make it better. But as much as Tyler wanted to say 'screw it' and forget all about breaking the bond so he could go back to Caroline, he knew that wouldn't do either of them any good. He was never going to forget the look on her face when she'd realized he'd bitten her. As long as he was sired to Klaus, he was a danger to Caroline and the best thing he could do was stay away from her.

But that thought didn't stop him from pushing her name on the speed dial and bringing the phone to his ear. Tyler closed his eyes as he listened to it ringing, not sure if he was hoping that she'd answer or if he was hoping for her voicemail. So far each time he'd called, he'd gotten her voicemail just like she always seemed to get his when she returned his calls. A few seconds later, he heard her outgoing message kick in and decided maybe that was for the best.

"Caroline, it's me." Tyler wasn't really sure what to say; he always felt like he should start with an apology because there were so many things he was sorry for. "I just wanted to check in. I heard about Bonnie's mom. I hope they're both doing okay, or as okay as they can be in this situation. I'm sure you're doing a great job taking care of them. Things aren't bad on this end. I miss you too and I'll be home as soon as I can."

He ended the call, setting the phone down on the table beside the clock. Nothing he'd said felt like it was enough but it was the best he had to offer her at the moment. Tyler moved back to the middle of the room and got down on the floor once again. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to concentrate on his transformation. He was determined to become a wolf faster this time and not focus on the pain that his body was going through. He had to be stronger than he was. Caroline needed him and he wouldn't go home to her until he was whole again.


End file.
